Surprising Voter ID Facts Uncovered in California

During a recent episode of “Straight Shooter with Stephen A.,” SiriusXM host Stephen A. Smith expressed his astonishment when California Representative Kevin Kiley revealed that the state does not require voters to show identification.

This revelation ties back to a law signed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2024, known as Senate Bill 1174. This legislation prevents local governments from demanding voter ID. Kiley underscored this point after Smith mentioned it earlier in the discussion.

When pressed about whether he supports the Protection of American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), which mandates proof of citizenship for voting in federal elections, Kiley noted, “I agree with that…I think the fact that you don’t have a voter card in a place like California is highly unusual in democracies around the world…I think we should have it…It shouldn’t be a hugely controversial issue.”

Smith took the opportunity to ask Kiley to elaborate on California’s voter ID rules, to which Kiley replied, “California doesn’t have a voter ID. You don’t have to show it to register. You don’t have to show it to vote. In fact, the state passed a law banning voter ID.”

Smith erupted with disbelief, “What!? When did that happen!?” Kiley explained that this was a relatively recent change and offered additional context.

Smith suggested that this California law could lend support to Republicans advocating for the SAVE Act. “I can’t believe it,” he remarked, adding that he felt embarrassed for not knowing this information earlier.

In a separate conversation on “Hangout with Sean Hannity,” Smith criticized the lack of ID requirements for voting, calling it “ridiculous.”

Also, former President Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social post that he would not endorse any legislation until the Save America Act is enacted. This act calls for documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and photo ID for federal elections, as well as verifying citizenship for state voter rolls.

Lastly, Kiley announced on March 6 that he would run as an independent after having previously campaigned as a Republican in an effort to revitalize his unsuccessful candidacy.